Fabric finishing apparatus



Aug. 28, 1951 E. P; TAYLOR EI'AL FABRIC FINISHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 18, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Allorn Aug. 28, 1951 E. P. TAYLOR ETI'AL FABRIC FINISHING APPARATUS -7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1949 1951 E. P. TAYLOR EI'AL 2,566,075

FABRIC FINISHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 18, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 28, 1951 E. P. TAYLOR EI'AL I 2,566,075

I FABRIC FINISHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. l8, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. 28, 1951 E. P. TAYLOR EIAL 2,566,075

FABRIC FINISHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 18, 1949 .7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 28, 1951 E.'P. TAYLOR r-:rA| 2,565,075

FABRIC FINISHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 18, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Atto ney Aug. 28, 1951 E. P. TAYLOR ETAL 2,555,075

' FABRIC FINISHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 18, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented Aug. 28, 1951 2,566,075 .FABnIo FINISHING APPARATUS Edward Percy Taylor and AlexandertMelville, Manchester, England, assignorsof one-half to -Bleachers Association Limited, Manchester, .=-England, a Britishcompany, andonc-vhalf to f Lockers (Engineers) LimitedyWar-rington', England, a British company Application October .18, 1949, Serial .No. 121,966

1 :In GreatBritain May :22, 1948 13 .Claims.

This invention-concerns. a process and apparatusafor finishingfabrics.

Various forms of apparatus are-employed in finishing fabrics by applying pressuretolthem. The present-invention is concerned with aprocess and apparatus for finishingfabrics byapplying pressure to themintermittently by a. succession of impacts as distinct from. the continuous pressure used, for example, in.calendering impressing machinery.

One known way oflapplying.pressureintermittentlyto fabricsby a succession of impactsfis by the operation known as beetling-whichis used for. finishing. linen fabrics and cotton goodscfor the purpose of closing them, withouteflattening the threads :andalso forgiving. a .brightfiand thready appearance to the fabric.

. This old .process .of beetling, is. generally carried out on a machine known as aLancashire Beetle, which-has alarge numberofshard beechwood fallers arranged in line which..are..lifted -by cams and allowed. ,tOwfQJl-OH .to a .beam urn-roll of cloth which is situated directly beneaththe row of .fallers, the rate of fall. .being controlled at approximately 80 times per minute.

. Another type. ofheetlingmachine which is :used is known as the flHighSpeedSpring Beetle. In this machine metallic hammerstakethe-place of. .the .woodenfallers .of the .Lancashire Beetle. Theseh-ammers areoperatedby an=overhead cam shaft, at about A00,.blows. per :minute giving. a L

beneath. the beater-1-01. cheaters in .one. or -more layers.

A We. have found that ayariety of attractive lfinishes. can bed-imparted toi-fabrics by .causing .at least onebeaterto beat. the fabriclmorethan v600 times perminute, while thefabric. is sup- .ported on a.base vandisv being movedacrossthe path of the beater.

Preferably there is used atleast one, beater which is caused to vibrate byelectromagnetic means, so as to beat the fabricmore than 400 .times per. minute. Higherirequencies are particularly suitable e.. g. at least .1000 blows per minute.

of at least one beater which extends across the full width of the fabric.

By carrying out the beatingof the fabric with a beater or beaters .vibrating at a. higher rate than in the customary beetling machines. e..g. at least 1000 blowsper minute, advantages lover the knownbeetling process are secured. .The length of the stroke, i. e. the distance of movement of the beatertowards and away from the fabric may be quite small, e.. g. aboutone-eighth to one-sixteenth of an inch. By .thismethod of finishing theeifectrequired .on different types of fabrics can be readilycontrolled which is not the case inzcustomarymethods of beetling. The operating mechanisms can, if-necessary be enclosed and isolated, also insulated. from the rest of the machine to reduce the. noise.

. The beater is preferably one element-cranessembly which, also includes a resilient means supporting: said beater and electromagnetic :means adapted to; be-intermittently.energised and disposed so as to i be. capable of. intermittently. .displacing said beater against the actionof said ,resilient means. A comparatively high. frequency of, for example, 1000 blows-or. more-per minute can be readilysecurd by :using alternating 'or intermittent .current, having a. frequency .of

alteration or interruption of 1000, ormore1per .minute. -A customary frequency-of alternating current supply-is 50 cycles per second and the use of acurrent of-this frequency enablesthe .beater to be moved 3000 times per minute,

which has been found tobe a very suitable'frequency to employ incarrying out the .finishing of fabrics by. the present invention.

- The effect of. supporting the beater bn resilient means .and causing it to .vibrate in contact with the fabricmore than 400 times per minuteis to apply-pressure to the fabric and toincrease and decrease this pressure more. than 400 times per ,minute. This pressure may be produced-by a beater weighing 4 to 5- thousand poundsapplied to a fabric iii-inches wide.

By the useof a'beater or beaters vibrating-at a high frequency of, for example, 1000-blows or more perminute it is possible toreducesubstantially the weight andsize of the finishing .mach'me ascompared with the known beetling machines and the, electrical control makeseit possible to adjust the intensity. of the blowsdur- .ingthe process, ,It. is not necessary. for. the beaterto .be a weight which. falls. from any .sub-

stantialheighton to. the fabric..- It .may. be a weight which together with its operatingm'echa- Preferably the fabric issubjectedlto the action 55 ,nismrestson the fabric so .thatrthe whole assem- 1y is vibrated while sitting on. the fabric. The weight may be spring-supported in a frame which carries the operating mechanism and this frame and its contents formingthe whole assembly may be suspended from a resilient supporting arrangement which is adjustable in the direction of displacement of the beater to enable being a multiplicity of layers of fabric with alterthe pressure on the fabric to be adjusted as de sired even during the vibrating operation. This enables attractive effects in varying degrees to be produced on fabrics such as brightness, clos ing and a thready appearance. Morever, by

causing the beater with its operating mechanism to sit on the fabric, the amplitude of the vibration is unaffected by the position of normal repose of the beater; thus, if a seam is encountered the beater is merely raised by this to a higher position of normal repose but the vibratory beat.-v ing action is unaffected. .Where the beater. is electro-magnetically vibrated the intensity or force with which it strikes the fabric may be adjusted by variations in the electric current applied.

g The beaters maybe applied to the fabric singly or in groups according to whether the fabric is treated in a single draft or otherwise, and if desired the fabric may be passed beneath a succession of beaters.

These beaters are preferably the full width .of the fabric and formed of metal but'may be faced where they come in contact with the fabric i. e., on their operative faces, with non- }metallic material suchas wood or a yielding material such as hard rubber or plastic material. As already stated, the fabric may be treated when wound on rollers or beams as is cutomary on beetling'machines, but it may alternatively, be treated continuously in single or multiple layers. Moreover, it may be continuously treated while it is being passed in a single layer between 'a succession of ,rollers beneath the beating means. For this purpose a set of two or more rollers, preferably formed of or covered with yielding material such as rubber, may be arranged between a supporting roller of substantially larger diameter and the beater. The beater itself may be provided with a surface of yielding material.

The fabric when treated may be in the dry or moist state or it may even be impregnated with dyestuffs or other chemicals before treatment which then assists penetration. Heat may be applied to the fabric before or during the finishing process of the present invention.

Instead of winding the fabric on a roller or beam (which is integral with the machine) as in the customary beetling processes, it may be wound on to a separate roller by a separate winding machine and then positioned between the beater or beaters and a strong supporting roller similar to the beam of a beetle. By rotating this supporting roller, motion may be given to the roll of fabric during processing the fabric passing insingle thickness beneath the beater.

If desired, there may be interposed between the beater and the fabric to be treated rubber or a rubber-like synthetic plastic or other yielding material preferably of 60 to 90 hardness Shore). There may be used, for example, a

fabric coated with rubber or rubber-like synthetic plastic. Such yielding material may,

alternatively or in addition, be between the fabnate layers of rubber covered fabric.

The invention includes a machine for treating fabric including beating means comprising at least one beater adapted to vibrate at a frequency exceeding 600 blows per minute, means for supporting fabric to be beaten by the beating means and means to move the fabric transversely to the direction of movement of the beater. It also includes a machine for treating fabric having at least one beater electromagnetic means to vibrate said beater at a frequency exceeding 400 blows per minute, means for supporting the fabric to be beaten and means to move the fabric transversely to the direction of movement of the beater. It also includes a machine for treating fabric having a vibrator operatively connected to the heater and means for supporting the fabric beneath said heater so that it can in turn support the weight of the beater and at least part of the weight of the vibrator.

The invention may be applied to the existing beetle machines by removing the beetle fallers and substituting for these the H. F. vibrating mechanism described.

The invention will be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing one form of machine.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding sectional elevation on the line II-II of Fig. 1. l

.Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a second form of machine I i Fig. 4 is asectional elevation of a third form of machine.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a fourth form of machine.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary diagrammatic sectional elevation on the line VII-VII of Fig. 5 on a larger scale, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary diagrammatic sectional elevation corresponding to Fig. 7 of a modified form of the machine shown in Fig. 5.

As shown in Fig. 2, fabric H to be treated is carried on a beam l2 as in the customary Lancashire Beetle.

The machine includes three pairs of open top bearings for sup orting the ends of the beam in the central position as shown by the beam l2, and in side positions respectively for sup orting beams being loaded with fabric for treatment and unloaded after treatment.

An electro-ma net assembly I3 is carried by pillars 14 from a frame l5 which is verticallv displaceab e in uid s l6 at fixed side members i! of the machine. The frame I5 has two eye-bolts l8 fixed thereto and is partially supported by way of these eye-bolts from cables [9. The upper ends of the cables l9 are connected by way of resilient tension boxes 20 (including for example a suitably disposed helical spring) to the lower ends of cables 2|. Each of these cables 2! passes over a pulley 22 and its other end isfixedto a grooved wheel 23. The two wheels 23 are fixed to a spindle 24 carrying a worm wheel 25 which it engages with aworm 26 connected byway of a spindle 21 to a hand wheel 28. By rotating the hand wheel 28 the rotation-of the shaft is affected thereby raising or lowering the frame I" is controlled from a panel 33. In" this 'machine,

rotation of the beam 12 is affected through a train ofgearing but unlike the usual forms of beetle machine there is'no' need to provide for longitudinal displacement of .1 the-beam during treatment.

The whole weight of the'vibrator assembly can be carried, by way of the member-3lj by-the fabric but any-lesser proportionof the weight may be caused to be supported-by the fabricby suitable rotation of thehand wheel 28. I If the handwheelis turned in a direction to lower the frame I5 the proportion of the-weightis increased up to that of the full weight of the magnet assemblyarmature and member 3| resting upon the fabric.

If, on the other hand, the'wheel is rotated so asto raise the lower ends of the cables, part or all of the weight of the vibrator is counterbalanced through the resilient connection boxes 20.

Instead of treating the fabric on a beam rotated directly by gearing the fabric may be in the form of a roll II I (Fig. 3) wound on a roller having a spindle H2. Two levers H3 are pivoted to the machine body at H4 and at their mid portions: each of these levers has a slotted lug I I30. engageable on one end portion of the spindle I E2. The free end of each lever is hooked to receive a weight H5. The roll Ill rests upon a roller H6 adapted to be revolved by gearing as in the previously described form of construction.

Instead of treating the material in a batch as in the machine of Figs. 1 and 2 and Fig. 3, a continuous treatment may be effected as shown in Fig. 4 by passin fabric from a supply 2!! over a rubber facing 2I2a on a roller 2I2 on to a takeup roller 2 I4. In this construction the hardwood insert or facing 32 of the central member 3! may itself be replaced by or faced with rubber as at 2 3.

Another way of carrying out continuous treatment is shown in Figs. 5 to 8. As shown in Figures 5 to '7 there is interposed between the facing 225 of the central member 3| and the rubber faced roller 2I2 a vertical bank of rotatable rollers 2I5 which are preferably rubber covered.

As shown in Fig. 8. the facing 225 of the central member 3| is dispersed with and a rubber or rubber-covered roller 223 mounted on spindle 224 is provided.

The rollers 2I-5 are provided with spindles 2 I6 which are freely movable in the slots of vertically slotted brackets 2H downwardly dependent from the central members 3 I.

The spindle 224 of roller 223 is journalled in brackets 2 I1.

The spindles 2H5 and 224 are provided at one of their ends with pulleys 2I8 or 2| 9. These pulleys 2I8 and 2I9 are connected by belts with a multiple grooved pulley wheel 220 on a shaft 22 l. The belts on the pulleys 2I8 are direct and those on the pulleys 2!!! are crossed. Shaft 22l is verticalvibratory' displacement of the member 3! acting" intermittently tocomp'ress rollers 2l5 between the'fa'cing'225 (or roller 223) andthe roller"2 l2.

Bythe' arrangementsshown in Figures 5 to 8 the intermittentpressureor beating action Ice-'- tween the'centremember SI of the electromagnet assembly andtheroller 2I2 is transmitted from one'to'another of thercllers 2 l 5 which impact on Since'the fab-f ric is fed between the surfaces of'successive pairs and rebound from oneanother.

of rollers it is thus subjected to a plurality of high speedbeatings while passing from supply roll r.

The res'ulting'multiple treatment of the fabric'acceleratesthe production 21 i 'totake'up'r'oller 2 Ml prising in combination an assembly consisting of a beater, resilient means supporting said beater, and electro-magnetic means adapted to be intermittently energised and disposed so as to be capable of intermittently displacing said heater against the action of said resilient means, a supporting arrangement for said assembly, means for supporting fabric beneath said beater, means to move the fabric transversely to the direction of beater displacement and means to adjust the operative position of said heater, said resilient means and said electro-magnetic means in the drection of beater displacement.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said beater is at least as Wide as the fabric.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said beater is intermittently displaced against the action of said resilient means more than 400 times per minute.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said heater is intermittently displaced against the action of said resilient means at least 600 times per minute.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said beater is intermittently displaced against the action of said resilient means at least 1000 times per minute.

6. A machine for treating textile fabric comprising in combination at least one assembly consisting of a beater, resilient means supporting said beater and electro-magnetic means adapted to be intermittently energised and disposed so as to be capable of intermittently displacing said heater against the action of said resilient means, a supporting arrangement for said assembly, means for supporting fabric beneath said beater, means to move the fabric transversely to the direction of beater displacement and means to adjust the position of said beater, said resilient means and said electro-magnetic means in the direction of beater displacement.

7. A machine for treating textile fabric including an assembly consisting of a beater, resilient means supporting said beater and electromagnetic means adapted to be intermittently energised and disposed so as to be capable of intermittently displacing said beater against the action of said resilient means more than 400 times per minute, an adjustable resilient supporting arrangement for said assembly, a roll of fabric held beneath said beater, means to move the fabric continuously transversely to the direction of said displacement and means to adjust in the direction of displacement the position of said beater, said resilient means and said electromagnetic means.

8. A machine for treating textile fabric including an assembly consisting of a beater, resilient means supporting said beater and electro-magnetic means adapted to be intermittently energised and disposed so as to be capable of intermittently displacing said beater against the action of said resilient means, a resilient supporting arrangement for said assembly, means for supporting and continuously moving fabric transversely to the direction of displacement of the beater and means for adjusting said supporting arrangement in the direction of displacement to enable at least part of the weight of said assembly to be carried by said fabric thereby effect- 2 ing a pre-loading of said resilient means.

9. A machine as set forth in claim 8 in which said beater is intermittently displaced against the action of said resilient means at least more than 400 times per second, and with a free amplitude of between about and said fabric is in the form of a roll formed from A the fabric to be treated and a yielding material rolled up together.

13. A machine as set forth in claim 8 in which I said heater is at least as wide as said fabric.

EDWARD PERCY TAYLOR. ALEXANDER MELVILLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,090,590 Arnfield et a1 Mar. 1'7, 1914 1,095,901 Marsden et a1. May 5, 1914 1,442,840 Wrigley Jan. 23, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS Number 7 Country Date 2,079 Great Britain of 1910 17,210 Great Britain of 1907 

